The present invention relates in general to containers used for filling, storing, shipping and cooking food, such as popcorn, in an oven, such as a microwave oven. More particularly, the invention relates to a container apparatus wherein the apparatus facilitates and maintains the positioning of the food during filling, storing, shipping and cooking in a substantially restricted predetermined location within the interior region of the container apparatus. The apparatus accordingly maximizes exposure of the food to a heat enhancement device during the actual cooking process, to, in turn, enhance cooking uniformity and quality of the cooked food.
Containers for cooking food in an oven, whether it be of the conventional type or a microwave oven, have been known in the art for many years. Indeed, many of such containers have incorporated gusseted side panels and utilization of heat enhancement devices operably attached, or exposed to, one of the panels of the container itself. Furthermore, some of such prior art, have disclosed a defined interior region for acceptance of the food to be cooked during and after filling, as well as during the storing, shipping and cooking of the food. Examples of the prior art include: Brandberg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,045; Bohrer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,010; Winters, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,427; Borek, U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,573; Gades, U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,280; and Watkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,513. In addition, other prior art, such as Watkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,180, disclose that narrow and enlarged tube sections can be defined by the gussets to enhance the cooking of popcorn.
Although the prior art does disclose containers having a defined interior region positioned between the gussets and one of the front or back panels of the bag itself, few, if any of such prior art containers teach altering the interior region to maximize direct exposure of the food to the heat enhancer. Furthermore, few, if any of such prior art discloses an interior region which is configured to substantially preclude the inadvertent migration of food between the back side of the gussets and the panel adjacent to that back side, preliminarily to filling, so as to maintain substantially all of the food to be cooked directly proximate to the heat enhancement device during cooking, to, in turn, facilitate uniform and complete cooking of the food.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus which utilizes bag panel attachment means for attaching a portion of the gusseted side panels and the front or back panel not positioned adjacent the heat enhancer during the cooking of the food, so as to maintain the food to be cooked adjacent the front or back panel which is adjacent the heat enhancer--so as to provide uniform and complete cooking of the food.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus wherein the bag panel attachment means on the front or back panel are attached to corresponding portions of the gusseted side panels prior to filling the bag with food and accordingly, prior to sealing the top ends of the bag.
It is still further an object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus which precludes the inadvertent migration of the food as it is being filled within the bag means, between the gusseted side panels and the front or back panel which is operably attached to the gusseted side panel by the bag panel attachment means.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a container apparatus which can be used in association with an integrally attached heat enhancer or a separate heat enhancer contained in a portion of the oven.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims and drawings.